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The England head coach loathed the moniker Bazball from its inception, viewing it as overly simplistic and perhaps foreseeing how it might be weaponised down the line. Currently, down 2-0 in an Test series in Australia that began with high hopes, it has turned into the subject of mockery from Australia.

However McCullum has not helped himself either. After the gut-wrenching defeat at the Gabba, his insistence that, if there was an issue, England were 'over-prepared' before the day-night Test was akin to attempting to extinguish a rubbish fire with gasoline. It risks becoming his epitaph as England head coach if performances do not improve.

In a way, you almost have to admire his commitment to the bit. As much as McCullum claims to block out external noise, he will have been all too aware of an England team often described as carefree and underprepared.

The reality, as ever, is more nuanced. England play as much golf during their necessary down time as their opponents and they train just as much. Before the Gabba Test, they did more, logging five days to Australia's three, given their lack of exposure to the pink ball and the different seeing conditions.

The Debate of Readiness and Practice

The coach's point about being "over-prepared" was that those additional training days were his call – the instance he blinked in his belief that less is more. It suggested a significant amount of mental energy was expended before they even stepped out in the cauldron of Australia's fortress. And though nets are a chance to refine technique, they can also become a safety blanket; low-pressure activity that mainly keeps the reactions quick.

Fixtures are congested such that pre-series state games were not possible (with no guarantee, as shown by England playing three before the 5-0 series loss in 2013-14). More difficult to justify is the dismissal of domestic red-ball cricket as a worthwhile exercise more broadly, as shown by a young player's wasted summer.

On-Field Deficiencies and Philosophical Lack of Evolution

Only playing prepares cricketers for the various scenarios they encounter, and it is here where England have so far fallen well short. The issue is not just with the bat – as poor as some of the shot selection has been – but an bowling attack that seems without a spearhead. No bowler has demonstrated the persistence or control that the otherworldly Mitchell Starc and his support cast have delivered.

The coach's unconventional approach was freeing during its initial year, an effective, well diagnosed remedy to shake off the torpor that came before. The disappointment now comes in how it has apparently failed to move beyond that initial phase – the lack of an second phase to the initial philosophy that has seen form taper off to 14 wins and 14 losses from their last 30 Tests.

Squad Focus and Selection Decisions

One such player is Jamie Smith, a gifted player, no question, but one who is being constantly tested on both edges and missed two crucial opportunities as wicketkeeper. The situation is not aided when your counterpart, Alex Carey, has just produced a masterful performance.

Based on McCullum's comments in the aftermath, England look likely to keep the faith with Smith in Adelaide. The hope – as is the case – is that a return to a more familiar Test setting unleashes his best, with Perth's bouncy pitch and the unusual day-night format now in the past.

Another option is to enact the plan stumbled across during the series win in New Zealand 12 months ago by moving Ollie Pope down to his more natural home as a busy middle order player, giving him the wicketkeeping duties, and picking a fresh face at first drop. A young contender scored runs for the Lions recently, or maybe an all-rounder could perform a similar role to the former spinner in 2023.

In the end, these changes is perfect, however Australia's better fundamentals having shattered pre-series optimism and pushed the broader philosophy into the spotlight.